Aspro. Susan Williams

Susan Williams is an ophthalmology researcher focused on the genetic and clinical determinants of eye disease in African populations, with strong ties to South African academic and hospital institutions. Her work integrates genomic medicine, clinical ophthalmology, and translational research to address disparities in conditions such as primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular surface squamous neoplasia.

Her publications highlight leadership in large-scale genome-wide association studies and polygenic risk score evaluation in African ancestry cohorts, advancing understanding of glaucoma’s genetic architecture and emphasizing the need for ancestry-tailored risk models. She has also applied whole-exome sequencing to congenital and developmental eye disorders, identifying novel and population-specific variants.

Beyond genetics, Williams contributes to clinical and bioengineering research, including non-invasive diagnostic approaches, transcriptomic profiling of ocular tissues, and computational fluid dynamics modeling of aqueous humor flow and glaucoma devices. This multidisciplinary portfolio underscores a commitment to improving diagnosis, risk prediction, and surgical outcomes in underrepresented populations.